Academic Performance of Immigrant Students in Minnesota

1. Academic Performance of Immigrant Students in Minnesota Presentation to the Citizens League Study Committee on Immigration and Higher Education July 19, 2006

2. Key questions How many immigrant students are there in Minnesota schools? Where do they come from? What kinds of immigration status do they have? How well are immigrant students performing? Are some immigrant communities performing better than others? What challenges do immigrant students face? Do students from different immigrant communities face different challenges?

3. How many immigrant students are there in Minnesota schools? Minnesota school districts do not track the immigrant status of students. The best �proxy�Minnesota school districts do not track the immigrant status of students. The best �proxy�

4. Census data In Minnesota: Approximately 96,000 children of foreign-born parents in Minnesota schools. 10% of students in Pre-K through 5th grades are children of foreign-born parents. 9% of students in 6th � 12th grades are children of foreign-born parents. U.S. Census of Population and Housing, 1 Percent PUMS, 2000 But census data doesn�t tell us anything else about the students. For that, we need Minnesota Department of Education data. There is no statewide tracking of immigrant students.But census data doesn�t tell us anything else about the students. For that, we need Minnesota Department of Education data. There is no statewide tracking of immigrant students.

5. LEP Students in Minnesota Schools 6.96% of Minnesota public school students are �Limited English Proficient� (57,665 total) The percentage of LEP students varies significantly between districts: St. Paul: 38% Willmar: 14% Cass Lake: 0% Minnesota Department of Education, 2004-2005 School Year Also: Brooklyn Center 31%, Minneapolis 23%Also: Brooklyn Center 31%, Minneapolis 23%

6. Problems with using LEP as a proxy for immigrant Just over half (53.9 percent) of ELL students are foreign-born. �Descriptive study of services to LEP students and LEP students with disabilities. Volume I: Research report,� Office of English Language Acquisition, 2003. Around 40% of foreign-born students are ELL. �Overlooked and Underserved: Immigrant Students in U.S. Secondary Schools,� Urban Institute, 2000. But using �ELL� as a proxy for �immigrant� precludes analysis of immigrant students who are proficient in English � and, therefore, precludes our ability to analyze the effects of language on student performance. But using �ELL� as a proxy for �immigrant� precludes analysis of immigrant students who are proficient in English � and, therefore, precludes our ability to analyze the effects of language on student performance.

7. What we don�t know How many immigrant students are there in Minnesota�s colleges and universities? Where are Minnesota�s immigrant students from? What immigration statuses do Minnesota�s immigrant students have? How many of our immigrant students are LEP?

8. How well are immigrant students performing in Minnesota schools? 

9. How well are English Language Learners doing in Minnesota schools? These are metro-area numbers only. The data for the whole state are not yet available.These are metro-area numbers only. The data for the whole state are not yet available.

10. How well are English Language Learners doing in Minnesota schools?

11. What we don�t know How well are non-LEP immigrant students performing? How well are immigrant students performing in subjects other than math and reading? Are some immigrant communities performing better than others?

12. What challenges do immigrant students face?

13. Overall, foreign-born students are as or more likely than their native-born peers to: Report high personal aspirations Take Advanced Placement classes Take other advanced math and science classes Graduate from high school Graduate from college �Overlooked and Underserved: Immigrant Students in U.S. Secondary Schools,� Urban Institute, 2000. The good news

14. LEP immigrants have higher drop-out rates than non-LEP immigrants. �Overlooked and Underserved: Immigrant Students in U.S. Secondary Schools,� Urban Institute, 2000. Data from the 1995 Current Population Survey Data from the 1995 Current Population Survey

15. Mexican and other Hispanic students have higher drop-out rates �Overlooked and Underserved: Immigrant Students in U.S. Secondary Schools,� Urban Institute, 2000. This is probably because a greater percentage of Hispanic immigrant students are LEP than other immigrant groups.This is probably because a greater percentage of Hispanic immigrant students are LEP than other immigrant groups.

16. Immigrant students have higher rates of poverty than non-immigrants �Overlooked and Underserved: Immigrant Students in U.S. Secondary Schools,� Urban Institute, 2000. Economic status is a more significant predictor of higher education participation and completion than is race. Family economic status affects students� abilities to afford higher education, but it also affects the education students receive prior to pursuing higher education. Because low-income students are more likely to have inadequate schooling, they are less likely to pursue higher education.Economic status is a more significant predictor of higher education participation and completion than is race. Family economic status affects students� abilities to afford higher education, but it also affects the education students receive prior to pursuing higher education. Because low-income students are more likely to have inadequate schooling, they are less likely to pursue higher education.

17. What we don�t know In addition to language acquisition, do immigrant students face other challenges different from those faced by native-born students? Do students from different immigrant communities face different challenges?

18. Sources Capps, R., Fix, M., Murray, J., Ost, J., Passel, J. and Herwantoro, S. �The New Demography of America�s Schools: Immigration and the No Child Left Behind Act.� Urban Institute, 2005. Minnesota Department of Education Ruiz-de-Velasco, Jorge and Fix, Michael. �Overlooked and Underserved: Immigrant Students in U.S. Postsecondary Schools.� Urban Institute, 2000. Zehler, A.M., Fleischman, H.L. & Hopstock, P.J., Stephenson, T.G., Pendzick, M. & Sapru, S. Descriptive study of services to LEP students and LEP students with disabilities. Volume I: Research report. Rosslyn, VA: Development Associates. 2003.